Daughters of slain mother remain in critical condition

Wednesday

Aug 29, 2007 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2007 at 4:46 AM

Danielle Cann, 15, and Brittany Cann, 12, remained in critical condition Tuesday night at Rhode Island Hospital after receiving gunshot wounds to the head over the weekend. Their mother, Elizabeth M. Cann, 44, was also shot and killed in the shooting rampage, which occurred at their two-story home in Norton.

By Tim Faulkner

Danielle Cann, 15, and Brittany Cann, 12, remained in critical condition Tuesday night at Rhode Island Hospital after receiving gunshot wounds to the head over the weekend. Their mother, Elizabeth M. Cann, 44, was also shot and killed in the shooting rampage, which occurred at their two-story home in Norton.

“We’re still out processing evidence,” said Greg Miliote, a spokesman for the Bristol County District Attorney, the office coordinating the investigation with Norton police and Massachusetts State Police.

Officials reported that Cann’s ex-boyfriend, Robert McDermott, 39, formerly of Mansfield and Norton, shot Cann and her daughters sometime between Sunday and Monday before shooting himself in Walpole.

McDermott’s body was found Monday on the MBTA commuter rail tracks with a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities reported that his body was also run over by a passing train. A .44-caliber, six-shot revolver, the weapon used in the shootings, was found near his body, Norton Detective Sgt. Brian Clark said in a press conference Monday afternoon.

Miliote reported that Elizabeth Cann’s car was discovered near the location where McDermott’s body was found, indicating the he drove it to Walpole sometime after the shooting at the Cann’s home at 384 Reservoir Street.
The family’s small dog was also shot and killed in the incident.
Although police were investigating the murder/suicide on Tuesday, there were no indications of additional suspects in the case.

“Everything appears to be at it is,” Miliote said.

McDermott had been living at the home with Elizabeth Cann and her daughters during a turbulent eight-year relationship, Clark said. He said Cann had at one point filed a restraining order against McDermott that expired two years ago. As recently as Friday, Norton police received a call from the home to check on the well-being of the residents.

“It was on and off again for some time,” Clark said of the relationship.
Cann and her daughters were discovered Monday morning by her ex-husband, who had called police expressing concern in previous days, but police did not suspect imminent danger.

The girls were found lying in an upstairs hallway with single bullet wounds to the head. Their mother was found on the bed in her bedroom and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said the girls may have been suffering from their wounds for nearly 24 hours before they were found.

Brittany Cann was about to enter the seventh grade at the Norton Middle School. Danielle is a student at Norton High School. A third sister, Amanda, 17, a student at Southeastern regional Technical Vocational High School, was reportedly in Florida at the time of the shooting.

Tim Faulkner of the Taunton Daily Gazette can be reached at tfaulkner@tauntongazette.com.

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